Dry cleaner machine drive assembly



April 9, 1968 B. o. PUGH 3,376,654

DRY CLEANER MACHINE DRIVE ASSEMBLY Filed March 2l, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet l4 Sheets-Sheet fl Bobby 0. Pugh NVNTOR. da.

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DRY CLEANER MACHINE DRIVE ASSEMBLY Filed March 2l, 196 4 Sheets-Sheet 3Fig. 5

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DRY CLEANER MACHINE DRIVE ASSEMBLY Filed March 2l, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 432 Fig. 6

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WW1/wy ZMIQLW 73 cLurcH United States Patent Gfice 3,3 76,654 PatentedApr.v 9, 1968 3,376,654 DRY CLEANER MACHINE DRIVE ASSEMBLY Bobby O.Pugh, 5706 La Sierra Ave., Riverside, Calif. 92505 Filed Mar., 21, 1966,Ser. No. 535,971 3 Claims. (Cl. 34-53) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE Aconversion method for extending the average operating time betweenrepair intervals of a dry cleaner machine which includes a main drivingmotor operating the rotating cleaner drum during a dry cleaning cycle bymeans of a pulley drive. .During a period of time within the drycleaning cycle, a timer actuates a solenoid which in turn actuates aclutch for the purpose of engaging two pulleys. The first of thesepulleys is linked by means of a belt to the main drive motor -and atsuch time when the clutch is actuated and the first and second pulleysare linked, rotation is imparted to the second pulley. Attached to thissecond pulley is a belt which is extended over a blower shaft.Therefore, in effect, the main drive motor continually operates therotating drum and in addition operates the blower during a preselectedperiod within the operation cycle. The conversion method practiced uponthe above characterized machine consists of removing the pulley betweenthe main drive motor and the aforementioned rst pulley which is clutchlinked to the second pulley. In addition, the electrical output from thetimer is disconnected from the solenoid thereby completely disconnectingthe solenoid, clutch, and associated pulleys from the system. Instead,the timer output lines are connected to a second motor which is mountedon the machine, the shaft of this motor is coupled to a pulley whichdrives the blower.

This invention relates to a novel and useful dry cleaning machine driveassembly and more specifically to a modification of an existing drycleaner machine drive assembly.

At least one make of dry cleaner machine presently in use includes aframe from which a drum is rotatably journaled and a blower rotatablyjournaled from the drum with single motor means being drivinglyconnected to the drum and also the blower. In these conventional drycleaning machines the single motor means drives the drum and also a layshaft on which a pulley is journaled, the latter being drivinglyconnected to the blower and a solenoid actuated clutch being provi-dedfor selectively drivingly coupling the lay shaft to the pulley thereon.A suitable` timing mechanism is provided and electrically connects vthesolenoid actuated clutch to a suitable source of electrical potentialduring operation of the single motor means at pre-programmed intervalsfor causing the blower to operate during such intervals.

Although at first experience this type of intermittent driving of theblower appears to be economical in that only one motor'is utilized todrive both the drum and the blower, the solenoid actuated clutch mustnot only be capable of transmitting the normal blower starting loadssuch as would be the case if the single motor drove only the blower, butalso an additional load represented by the momentum of the heavy drum,the latter resisting the motor slowing down. If the solenoid actuatedclutch were required only to handle the driving torque of the motor andthe inertia of the rotating parts of the motor independently of theinertia of the heavy drum, the starting load on the clutch to initiaterotation of the blower would be substantially reduced and the clutchwould have a greatly increased life expectancy.

It is accordingly the main object of this invention to provide moreefficient drive means for the blower of this type yof conventional drycleaning machine and to provide a means whereby such a conventional drycleaning machine may be readily modified in accordance with the presentinvention.

A further object of this invention is to provide supplemental drivemeans for the blower of the aforementioned type of `conventional drycleaning machine which will Ibe relatively inexpensive to purchase andeasy to install.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein isto provide a novel blower drive conversion assembly for substantiallyall -diy cleaning machines being produced with only single motor meansfor driving both the drum and blower of the dry cleaning machine.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the ac companying drawing forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary rear elevational view of a conventional drycleaning machine drive assembly modified in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional View of the drive assemblyillustrated in FIGURE l taken substantially upon a plane indicated bythe section line 2-2 of FIG- URE l;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the mounting bracket of the additionaldrive motor of the instant invention illustrated on somewhat of areduced scale;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatical view of a portion of the electricalcontrols of the modified dry cleaning machine with portions of the oldsingle motor drive circuitry illustrated in phantom lines;

FIGURE 5 is .a fragmentary rear elevational view of a conventional drycleaning machine drive assembly;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the drive assemblyillustrated in FIGUR-E 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially upon aplane indicated by the section line 7-7 of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE `8 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of the electrical controlsof the conventional dry cleaning machine.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 1t)generally designates a conventional form of dry cleaning machinemodified in accordance with the present invention. The machine 10includes a frame generally referred to by the reference numeral 12 fromwhich a main drive motor 14 is supported. The drive motor 14 includes anoutput shaft 16 having a rst large pulley 18 mounted thereon as well asa second pulley 20. The first large pulley 18 is aligned with a thirdpulley 71 on alay shaft 22 also journaled from the frame 12 and havinga.

second pulley 24 rotatably Imounted thereon. A solenoid 66 actuatesclutchassembly 73 which is provided for drivingly coupling the lay shaft22 to the second pulley 24 and the second pulley 24 is aligned with thedrive pulley 26 of a blower shaft 28 of the machine 10. Blower shaft 28operates a blower (shown in phantom) which is located in the interior ofthe machine. The second pulley 20 is aligned with a drive pulley 30carried by a hollow rotatable shaft 33 which is aiiixed to the drum 32of the machine 10. An endless flexible belt 34 drivingly couples thepulley 20 to the pulley 30 for rotation of the drum 32 in response tooperation of the electric motor 14.

Originally, an endless flexible belt 74 drivingly connects the secondpulley 24 to the pulley 26 wherein the output shaft 16 of the motor 14would be drivingly coupled to the blower shaft 28 during actuation ofthe clutch assembly.

Inasmuch as the starting load of the blower shaft 28 is substantial andthe aforementioned solenoid actuated clutch assembly was found not to becapable of repeatedly handling this starting load with a long lifeexpectancy due to the increased inertia of the drive shaft of the motor16 by the heavy drum 32 driven by the drive shaft 16, the machine 10 hasbeen modified Iby providing a second motor 36 mounted from the frame 12of the machine 10 by means of an inverted generally L-shaped bracket 38secured to the frame 12 as at 40 and having the motor 36 secured theretoin any convenient manner such as by fasteners 42. The motor 36 includes.an output shaft 44 on which a drive pulley 46 is mounted and the drivepulley 46 is aligned with the pulley 26 on the blower shaft 28 and isdrivingly coupled to the latter by means of an endless tiexible belt 48entrained about the pulley 46 and the pulley 26 as well as a tensioningpulley 50 previously utilized to tension the discarded endless exiblebelt used to drivingly connect the pulley 24 to the pulley 26, atensioning pulley 52 being utilized to properly tension the endlessiiexible belt 34.

The machine 10 includes an electrical timer generally referred to by thereference numeral 54, see FIGURE 4, electrically connected to a suitablesource of electrical potential 56 by means of suitable conductors 58 and60. The timer 54 is electrically connected to the motor 14 by means ofsuitable conductors 62 and 64. The timer was also previouslyelectrically connected to the solenoid 66 of the solenoid actuatedclutch assembly above referred to -by means of conductors 68 and 70.However, in order to operate the motor 36, which requires generally thesame amount of current as the solenoid 66, no longer used, theconductors 68 and 70 are disconnected from the solenoid 66 and connectedto the motor 36 for actuation of the latter in lieu of solenoid 66. Ofcourse, actuation of the motor 36 causes the blower shaft 28 to berotated at the same time intervals determined by the timer 54 that thesolenoid 66 was previously actuated to drivingly connect the pulley 18to the pulley 26 through the lay shaft 22.

Accordingly, it may be seen that by the addition of the electric motor36 to the machine 10 and by causing the electric motor 36 to be actuatedfrom the same conductors 68 and 70 which were previously utilized toactuate the solenoid 66, operation of the blower shaft 28 is effected atthe proper pre-programmed periods determined by the timer 54.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction `and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A dry cleaner machine drive assembly including a rotatable drumcoupled to a hollow rotatable first shaft upon which is fixedly mounteda first pulley wheel, a second rotatable shaft independently disposedand coaxial within the hollow of said first shaft and upon which ismounted a second pulley wheel at one end thereof, the opposite end ofsaid second shaft coupled to blower means enclosed within said machine,said blower means forcing air circulation within said drum, a thirdpulley wheel mounted upon the rotatable shaft of a first drive motor,said motor fixed to said machine, said third pulley wheel being inplanar alignment with said first pulley wheel, an endless flexible beltentrained about said first and third pulley wheels, motion of whichcauses rotation of said drum, a second motor supported from ,said`machine in fixed position thereto and including a drive Y shaft having afourth pulley wheel mounted thereon in coplanar alignment with saidVsecond pulley wheel, a flexible endless belt entrained about saidsecond and said fourth pulley wheels, motion of which causes rotation ofsaid blower means, a two state actuation electric timer selectivelyinterconnecting a voltage source to said motors wherein said first stateactuation allows said first motor to run continually during an operationcycle and second state actuation allows said second motor to run duringselected intervals within said operation cycle.

2. The combination of claim 1 Vwherein said machine includes belttensioning means operatively mounted in engagement with said first andsecond endless belts for maintaining said belts in a properly tensionedcondition.

3. The method of extending the average operating time between repairintervals of a dry cleaner machine includ-I ing a rotatable drum drivenfrom a main motor output shaft, a blower drive shaft driven at certainperiods` during rotation of the drum by means of a driven pulleydrivingly connected to the blower drive shaft by means of an endlessdrive member driven from .a rotatable shaft on which the driven pulleyis journaled and in turn driven by said main motor, a solenoid clutchoperative to driv-` t ingly connect said rotatable shaft tosaid drivenpulley for rotation of the latter with the former, and a timer mechatoperation of the latter in response to actuation of said` timermechanism in lieu of actuation of said solenoid clutch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,755,716 7/1956 Epstein34---53`X` 3,002,287 10/ 1961 Smith 68--20 X 3,103,420 9/1963 'Epstein34--58` 3,161,481 12/1964 lEdwards 34-45 CHARLES li. MYHRfE, PrimaryExaminer.

FREDERICK L. MATPESON, IR., JAMES W. WEST- IHAVER, Examiners.

A. D. HERRMANN, Assistant Examiner.

